


Bangerz!

by haoshoumon



Series: Bangerz! [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Bands, Asexuality Spectrum, Bisexuality, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, M/M, Musical References, Rivals to Lovers, Seventeen are emo because I needed to project it on someone else, Tour Bus, emo bands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:13:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26661985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haoshoumon/pseuds/haoshoumon
Summary: Six years on the air,Bangerz!is the dream of any amateur band, from post-hardcore to death metal.The itinerant tour promoted by the program crosses the entire national territory for 100 days, during the summer, dragging with it the amateur bands, the already consolidated ones, and a legion of fans.However, spending 100 days living on a bus with several unknown faces turns out to be complicated, especially when you have the deadly competitive personality of Xu Minghao.Having to learn how to deal with completely different personalities from his, while being filmed and exposed in a national network, can be stressful but, for his dream, Minghao would do anything.
Relationships: Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Wen Jun Hui | Jun, Kim Mingyu/Xu Ming Hao | The8, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Lee Chan | Dino/Yoon Jeonghan
Series: Bangerz! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939924
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. San Diego.

**Author's Note:**

> hi hello again  
> so here I am once again trying to post this fanfiction ofvnuhugfn it didn't work last time because I started rewriting it and yeah but now I guess this is totally okay and ready to go.  
> I have this story in mind and my drafts for almost a whole year now, so I feel like I'm giving birth to a baby, if it makes sense.  
> The reality show is inspired by Warped Tour, a festival that crosses the USA on summer and has extreme sports and bands and shit.  
> I'd like to thank Jess for her help and advice while translating the first chapter, it helped me a lot!
> 
> Aaaaand one of the changes is: instead of putting all the romance in this one fanfic, this one will be mainly focused in the competition and Gyuhao, because they are protagonists, and there will be a few side stories telling wth is going on with the other boys with more details. Yay, I hope y'all like it as much as I do.  
> Eng is not my first language, so let me know if you find something weird. Also, the first version (in PT-BR) is posted on Spirit Fanfics under the username haoshoumon, too.

Xu Minghao was freaking out.

Honestly, he wasn’t expecting his band, _Comicz_ , to be under the sign-up for _Bangerz!_. Hundreds of amateur bands spent the whole year waiting for this moment. _Bangerz!_ was a reality show that was worldwide-famous, and even if the contestants didn’t win, it was almost guaranteed that they would get a contract with a renowned record label. That thought sent chills through the drummer’s slender body.

However, the chances of being selected were minimal: only three bands were chosen per season and Minghao was sure that at least a couple hundred bands would have signed up. And yet, there he was, staring at the computer screen statically as he faced the email that would change his life forever.

_ Comicz _ had been accepted into the program, and they had a total of three days to get everything they needed before spending almost four months living in a bus with two unknown bands as they struggled to get to first place.

Minghao needed about five minutes to recover and then let out a scream so loud that his mother hit her broom against the kitchen ceiling - the floor of his room - to shut him up. He laughed loudly and yelled an apology before picking up his cell phone and then forwarding the message to his band mates.

He didn't have to wait long for dozens of messages to appear on his screen. Suddenly, he heard Kwon Soonyoung scream from the house next door. Being a window neighbor to one of his best friends was really helpful. He approached his window and waited until Soonyoung’s red and bursting face popped up from the other side.

“Is that shit real?’’ Soonyoung asked, barely holding on to himself. Minghao silently thanked the hamster-faced boy's parents for putting a protective fence on the window because he was sure he'd be crashing into the garage by now. He had almost fallen a couple of years ago and no one would trust him without protective fences anymore.

“Believe me, I checked the sender a thousand times,” Minghao smiled wide, with his heart still beating super fast in his chest “I hope we don't die before we get there.”

“Me too,” Soonyoung started laughing out loud “Boy, we're going to be really famous!”

“Can you believe it?” Minghao stuck his long hair in a disheveled ponytail to keep away from his face when he leaned over the parapet. “I want to start packing!”

“Me too! Have you seen who the other guys or girls selected were?”

“Wait, I'll check now.” Minghao took his phone and opened the website, hoping that the banner was already there “Hmmmm... Summer 98' and Cataclysm. There’s just guys in this season.”

“Lucky me, hehehehe” Soonyoung had a laugh full of double-meanings and Minghao wanted to hit him with something.

“You're not going to fuck them, focus!” he shouted, outraged. He really hoped that Soonyoung's slutty attitude wouldn't hurt the band, for fuck’s sake.

“You know very well that it's impossible. Anything can happen between the participants after being locked together for so long, shut up!” Soonyoung laughed louder and then asked,“Where will the tour start this year?”

“Did your ugly ass even read the rules I sent to you?” Minghao grumbled, dismayed at his best friend. He really couldn't expect anything from Kwon Soonyoung.

“Let's just say I forgot. Sum it up for me.”

“In North Carolina, you asshole.”

“Hmmmm... Are we gonna have to fly to the other side of the country?”

“That's right, but at least we won't have to spend a single penny. The show is paying for everything.”

That seemed to make Soonyoung even more excited, but before he could say anything, the little images of the other members materialized at the end of the street. He waved to Minghao and disappeared, probably going to put on some pants before going down to talk to Jeonghan, Jun and Seokmin.

Minghao ended up going back inside, too, and turned off his computer before putting on slippers and going down. He hadn't really thought about how to break the news to his mother yet, mainly because he knew she hated being away from her only son and would hate it even more if she knew he would live in a bus full of strangers.

However, he could think about that later. He was soon in the street and was swallowed by four pairs of arms that pulled him into a bear-hug. 

“Aaaaaah I can’t believe it!” Yoon Jeonghan, their bassist, laughed loudly. “When are we going to sign the contract for the show?”

“As soon as we arrive in North Carolina,” Minghao laughed, realizing that only he himself probably had read something. “So I suggest you move your asses and pack it up as soon as possible.”

“How will you take your drums?” Seokmin, the vocalist, asked. “That junk is bigger than us…”

“I’ll figure it out later, that’s the least of our worries. Have you told your parents or are you just going to disappear and come back four months later?”

“At home it's all right, I think my dad will even give us a ride hitchhike to the airport,” Soonyoung laughed. “Seok's parents are cool with these things, too”

Minghao wanted to cry when realizing that he would probably be the only one to get in trouble, but he only needed to remind his mother that he was an adult and then maybe she wouldn’t act as if he was killing her.

“I think we should celebrate,” Junhui said after a while.

“In what way? We can't do questionable shit that sends us to the hospital in the next three days.” Jeonghan said.

“I know, asshole, I wasn't gonna suggest anything dangerous.” Junhui kicked Jeonghan's shin. “Let's go down to the beach and drink cheap wine.”

“Okay, that's fine,” Jeonghan shrugged and then came out of his hug to check his own pockets. “Let's go.”

Minghao let himself be dragged by Soonyoung as the five of them walked calmly towards the sand that stretched out like a white carpet to the sea. A placid little smile adorned his lips and he felt genuinely happy, both to have gotten that chance to show the world what he was made of and to be able to share this with his best friends, the people he had shared everything in life with.

“You're making a jerk face again,” Soonyoung warned Minghao when they stopped at a market and then giggled.

“And you were born looking like an idiot, but I don't say anything about that.” He replied, going to add his coins to his friends' money so he could buy more things than wine and a packet of potatoes.

“Petition to kick Minghao out of the band, one member!” Soonyoung announced, elbowing his friend. 

Seokmin seemed completely unaware of what was going on while the other two were laughing, already used to those clowns.

Soon the five of them sat at a safe distance from the sea and started recalling old stories as they drank, feeling strangely nostalgic as they felt more than ready for the future.


	2. Raleigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hello again

Minghao did not even sleep the night before the trip.

His body was vibrating in anxiety, and every time he closed his eyes, he could only see the previous editions of Bangerz! going through his head. He didn't know if the other guys would be cool, if they would be as competitive as he was or if they'd have better songs than Comicz, and it was killing him inside.

He knew he should relax and enjoy the experience, after all, because it wasn't every day that he crossed the country from handle to tail and knew many new things. And, honestly, this alone was more than enough to make everything worthwhile, but there was a part of him that was constantly telling him to give even more of himself than he was already used to.

A sigh of relief escaped Minghao's lips when the sun finally started to rise outside and cast soft orange shadows across the bedroom. That was the perfect excuse to get up and take a bath. He hoped he would get some sleep on the flight, anyway, or else he would be very screwed when they arrived at their destination.

Carefully, he untangled his hair and decided to do hydration, since he didn't know when he would be able to wash them properly again and didn't want to look greasy in front of the cameras. His mother would probably kill him for the bath that took too long, but he could pay all the water bills for her as soon as he became a super-rich and famous rock star, so he didn't stress too much about it.

Minghao wrapped a towel in his hair and another in his waist when he finished the bath and went to check his bags a few more times to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything important. Only after that, he allowed himself to relax enough to dry his hair and dress properly.

He still had a few lazy hours before he had to leave, so he did everything with a frightening calm and sat at the coffee table while waiting for his parents to wake up to eat together. Minghao knew they would be upset if they didn't share one last meal before he had to go.

However, they were apparently just as anxious as their son, and they came down shortly after and wrapped him in a tight hug. Minghao laughed softly and reciprocated by patting them on the back.

"Don't act like that, you'll see me on TV once a week," he laughed. "And I'll call every day, I promise."

"It's better you do, young man," his mother answered and then sat in front of her son, with a smile half proud, half crying on her small face.

"You will make me cry," Minghao grumbled and filled his mouth with food before looking away from his father. He seemed to be the complete opposite of his wife, laughing from time to time and stroking Minghao's head tenderly.

The conversation about the trip lasted a few more moments until Minghao realized that it was time to go. The boy brushed his teeth quickly and took everything to the car before calling Soonyoung and telling him to get down faster if he really wanted the ride his father had offered a few days earlier.

The smaller one appeared about two minutes later, smiling so wide that his eyes turned into tiny half-moons. Soonyoung hugged his friend's mother tightly before stuffing his luggage in the back seats, as Minghao's drums took up all the space in the trunk, and ran back inside to hug his own parents once again.

After more hugs and a half crying goodbyes, Soonyoung stuck himself next to his bags, and the boys finally headed to San Diego International Airport. Then, they would spend the next long hours on a plane to Raleigh, and then everything would finally start.

Jeonghan and Junhui were already at the airport when the two arrived, laughing at Seokmin's many messages in their group chat, that was complaining about not having enough underwear to spend so much time away from home. As if he couldn't buy new ones during the trip, but whatever.

Seokmin was the last to arrive, shortly after the boys said goodbye to Minghao's father, and then ran towards his friends and hugged them tightly as a greeting.

"Okay, did anyone here get any sleep?" Jeonghan asked, and only then did Minghao notice the heavy dark circles under his friend's brown eyes.

It was not exactly a surprise when only Seokmin gave a positive answer, considering that he was the most unperturbed person in the world.

Together, they went through all the check-in procedures, and Minghao was sure that everyone felt their heart speed when they heard the flight they would take being called. The five of them held hands and ran to the line, laughing as if they were insane.

Minghao dropped heavily into his seat and didn't have to wait long to feel the tiredness finally running through his veins and finally forcing him to sleep.

* * *

Jeonghan woke him up as soon as the plane landed. Minghao's head was throbbing lightly, and he swallowed a painkiller before he stretched out and got up. By the heavens, he was completely disoriented.

Fortunately, the production of the program would take care of the luggage of all the participants, and the boys wouldn't have to worry about that at the moment when they didn't even know exactly where they were.

Minghao stood still for a few moments until Junhui softly pushed him through the aisle until they were off the plane. The first thing he noticed was the full moon looking impossibly huge as it sparkled away, and then he turned to his friends.

"Which way do we have to go?" Seokmin asked, looking as energetic as a Pinscher.

"None, they're coming to get us," Minghao yawned and scratched his eyes before sitting on one of the stiff plastic chairs in the waiting room. He definitely needed more sleep.

He might have dozed off while waiting because he couldn't remember almost anything between the moment he sat down and the moment they were being driven into a black van with the name of the reality stylized in orange and red letters on its side. Apparently, they would only meet the other competitors the next day. There were only them, the driver and two staffs of the program inside the vehicle, who soon left quickly towards the city center. Everything still seemed too surreal and, not for the first time, Minghao asked himself if all this was a dream and was still in his bed, in San Diego.

However, as they approached their destination, the painkiller finally began to take effect, and Minghao felt more excited and in a good mood. Maybe, it was all happening, indeed.

The city lights hit him like a bomb when they disembarked and his eyes studied the gigantic buildings for a moment until Soonyoung intertwined his fingers with his and Jeonghan's and pulled them towards the entrance.

Judging by the satisfied expression on the guitarist's face, he finally had realized that they really were chosen for the show, and a satisfied little smile had found a place on his lips.

They were led through several super-lit hallways and spacious elevators until they reached a huge room in the penthouse, where three people waited for them with gentle smiles. Minghao saw himself smiling back as he felt his hands sweat.

"Welcome, boys," the only woman present smiled at them. Her black skin seemed to glow under the artificial lighting, and Minghao couldn't help but find her extremely beautiful and joyful. "My name is Yarin, and I'm _Bangerz!_ 's executive producer. It's an honor to have you with us in this edition. You are Comicz, right?

Minghao nodded, not trusting much in his own voice to say anything.

"Great," she smiled again and made some notes in one of the many papers spread on the table. "Today, you will only sign some terms of responsibility, contracts, and authorization of image use. Then you'll be taken to a hotel where you can rest before we start everything tomorrow morning. You will record a short advertisement, presenting yourselves to the public and trying to convince them to cheer for you, and will meet the other participants as well. Then the show will really start."

"Alright," Jeonghan smiled wide at the woman, looking satisfied. "Do we have to follow a script or something like that?"

"No, we want everything as spontaneous as possible. And don't worry, the recordings for the program won't happen for twenty-four hours non stop," she delivered a pack of stapled sheets to each one of them and a pen. "Please read everything carefully before signing."

The boys sat down on soft sofas to read and, honestly, Minghao was sure that Soonyoung was just pretending to read while he waited for Minghao to finish and make a summary because that's how it was from the time they were at high school. There was nothing in the contracts that Minghao was no longer waiting for, so he signed the sheets quickly and waited.

The drummer's face warmed up when his stomach rumbled audibly; he had gone more than eight hours without food and had only realized it at the worst possible moment.

Seokmin's giggling grew and soon turned into a loud laugh, causing everyone to end up laughing together and taking the focus off Minghao, who was instantly more comfortable.

After signing all the documents, the band was sent to a hotel that looked too clean and chic to carry some noisy, disheveled kids. Their luggage was already waiting for them when they arrived at their rooms, and Minghao rushed to take a quick shower before finally eating and getting in touch with his mother, who was probably already going crazy because of the lack of news about her only son.

"I ordered food for us!" Junhui shouted to Minghao when he left the bathroom.

The others had brought the two beds together to form a larger unit and were chatting and laughing when Minghao approached while typing some messages for his parents.

"I heard they're having those extreme sports stations again," Seokmin was saying. "I want to go, but I'm afraid."

"Let's go!" Jeonghan cheered up at the same instant. "It will be fun."

"It won't be fun if our vocalist has a heart attack because he's scared to death," Minghao laughed softly and threw himself over Soonyoung.

"I agree, we won't have time to find a replacement," Junhui watched and laughed out loud when an angry Seokmin threw a soft pillow over his face.

"Is that what you're worried about?!" He shouted, displeased.

"Of course! We need a vocalist if we want to win!" Jun laughed loudly and ran to the door when room service finally arrived with their food.

The conversation continued while the boys got stuffed with pizza and sodas, but they were still exhausted from the trip, so they decided to sleep as soon as they finished eating.

However, they all ended up falling asleep together on the beds that should be Soonyoung and Minghao's, because they were too tired to think about getting up and going to their own rooms. Despite the tight space, there was no greater comfort than being all together at that moment.

Minghao woke up tremendously scared the next morning while trying to understand what the hell was all that screaming so early.

Seokmin and Soonyoung were singing something unrecognizable while Jeonghan and Junhui chatted animatedly while eating something in bed. Minghao just couldn't understand why they had to do all that inside the room.

The drummer sat slowly and yawned as he stared at nothing for a moment. Then he sent a message to his parents and stole food from his friends before getting up and heading to the bathroom. Minghao threw cold water on his face while trying to decide whether to wash his hair again or not, soon deciding he didn't need to.

He made a bun anyway and stuck himself under the shower, trying to make the most of it. He wasn't sure where he would shower for the next few months since there wouldn't be any hotel or parents' house of friends to stay at. When he returned to his room, the others were already ready and making bets on the day that would follow.

Minghao joined them and, shortly after, a short and bald staff showed up to pick them up. That time, they kept the van curtains open and tried to absorb as much of the city as possible, but the trip ended so quickly started.

They were taken to the same room as the day before, and there were already eight other boys divided into two groups, talking quietly to each other. As it seemed, those would be their opponents.

Minghao lifted his chin and walked proudly to the place reserved for Comicz, keeping his gaze fixed ahead. He still didn't know for sure what he should say in the advertisement, but wasn't very concerned: no matter how much he was the leader, the others always spoke for him.

"Good morning, boys, have you been introduced already?" Yarin said as soon as he entered the room and seemed to have run a little so as not to be late.

After receiving negative head shakes in response, she nodded and took the participants' cards quickly.

"Alright. The Cataclysm boys are Lee Jihoon, Kim Mingyu, Jeon Wonwoo, and Choi Seungcheol."

A short boy with cherry hair waved his hand briefly, indicating that it was his group. Minghao didn't need to look much to know that Soonyoung had already laid eyes on him and faced him as if he were an idiot.

"Comicz is formed by Xu Minghao, Kwon Soonyoung, Yoon Jeonghan, Wen Junhui, and Lee Seokmin." She then said, and Jun nodded to indicate it was them. "And Summer 98' is the band of Lee Chan, Boo Seungkwan, Joshua Hong, and Hansol Chwe. You will have plenty of time to meet each other later. Now, who wants to start?"

All thirteen faced each other kinda confused; Minghao didn't know if he would be allowed to watch other people's recordings, but if he was, he wished they could be the last ones. That way, they would have a better basis of what to say, and they could use the mistakes of others to their advantage.

However, as nobody seemed exactly anxious for the first step, Yarin ended up deciding by lot, and Comicz was chosen to go first. Damn.

"Come with me," she said and was already leaving the room, not even checking if they were really on her trail. "You have five minutes to prepare, then go to the front of that green screen and wait for the signal to start talking."

"Okay," Soonyoung nodded and messed up his blonde hair before turning to his friends. "So?"

Minghao let go of his hair and ran his long fingers through the brown strands slowly while he thought for a while.

"You and Jeonghan speak well, I think you should start as soon as everybody finishes saying names and positions. Use your cuteness in your favor," the leader instructed. "It will be good if we already start with some popularity, fuck what its motive is. Jun, you talk about our social networks and the like, Seokmin does that thing of his that leaves everyone in love, and I do my best not to get in the way. Okay?"

"Sure, boss," Soonyoung answered with a little laugh.

"Anyway, we have to look spontaneous, so... I don't think there's any way we can make a mistake." Minghao tried to smile reassuringly and sighed softly when they were called.

They positioned themselves quickly in front of the screen and Minghao dried the sweat of his hands in the light blue jeans, straightening his hair afterward and trying to look decent.

"Hey there, everybody!" Jeonghan started giving a blinding smile moments before letting a giggle escape. "You don't know what an honor it is to be here. We are Comicz, and we will mess with your heads."

"That's because besides being very good, we are beautiful to death," Soonyoung laughed with conviction and let his eyes turn into the half-moons that everyone said were cute. "Let's make sure that each one of you falls in love with us!"

Minghao ended up laughing unintentionally after that and took the cue to start introducing himself and the members.

"Hmm... Hi! My name is Minghao, I'm twenty-two years old, and the drummer. I think that's all that matters about me."

"Don't be modest, captain, tell them that you are also our leader and that you cry listening to All Time Low!" Soonyoung provoked and made him laugh. "And hello, my name is Soonyoung, but you can call me Hoshi if you want. Rhythmic guitar and backing vocals, at your service!"

"I am Seokmin," The vocalist waved as soon as Soonyoung finished and smiled brilliantly. "I wish I could say I play something cool, but my talent is in the vocal cords. Cheer for me!"

"Cheer for all of us," Jeonghan rolled his eyes. "Hello again, I'm Jeonghan, the bassist who will enter your hearts."

“Don't pay any attention to this stupid, I'm the one who will enter your hearts," Jun laughed. "Everyone knows that no one can resist a lead guitarist, even more one who has this perfect face." The others laughed softly, and Jun soon remembered what Minghao had asked. "You can find us absolutely anywhere on the internet with the user @c_micz, follow us to see photos and videos of our performances!"

Luckily, the video director seemed to like the result a lot, so they didn't have to do anything but pose for some promotional photos before being shipped back to Yarin's room. The other bands were no longer there when they arrived, and, momentarily, Minghao felt a little more relaxed.

"Hi guys," a super tall guy with braids wrapped around his head greeted them. Just like Yarin, the boy's dark skin seemed to glow under the lights and left Soonyoung totally amazed. "The stage is probably already being set by now, do you want to take the instruments and make a pass before the show tonight?"

"Yes, we want it!" Minghao answered promptly. The sooner they get familiar with stages, the better. "How many minutes will we have to perform?"

"I'll check it out," the man said and checked some papers quickly. "Okay, today's line up counts with all of you and seven other veteran bands. Considering that today is the opening, you'll have about thirty minutes, and your band will close the night."

"Great, we'll be able to see everyone's energy and do better," Jeonghan whispered so only his friends would listen. "Let's go."

They stopped by the hotel to put a change of clothes in their backpack and had a quick snack before being guided through the city by the same staff as before. Minghao hoped that things wouldn't be so rushed in the next stops, because he'd like to go out and explore with the boys, even if only a little bit.

When they arrived, the main stage was already fully set, and Minghao's drums were already there since the staff had warned the guys that they were already on their way. Seeing everything made the boy's heart tumble in his chest since it was still hard to believe they were there.

"What will be our setlist?" Seokmin asked as soon as they tested the microphones and sound equipment. "We didn't even decide before, right?"

Minghao felt his spine freeze with that.

"Yeah, let's sit here and decide," he answered, already sitting in a lotus position in the middle of the stage. "I think we should try to show all our sides and the versatility of our band."

"Ok, will I need to do the guttural vocal?" Jun asked and held his rebel hair with a rubber band that was on his wrist.

"Yep, watch your throat," Minghao warned. "We have thirty minutes, but I think it'd be good if we spend some time talking with the audience and shit. They will like us better if they find us nice."

"Hmm, so I think we should open with _You got me like,_ because it's friendly and shows a lot of Seok's voice." Jeonghan pointed. "Will we do covers or only sing the originals?"

"I think covers would be nice to make people sing with us," Seokmin said.

"Agreed," Soonyoung said. "But we always do _Dear Maria, count me in_ , but All Time Low will be here and... yeah. Maybe it's on their setlist, and it would be weird if we sing too."

"You're right, let's see who's not coming, and then we'll choose. We have a lot of options," Minghao complemented.

Junhui nodded and took the cell phone quickly and rolled the screen for a few minutes before looking up again.

"Alright, _blessthefall_ is not in this stop, we can sing A _message to the unknown."_

"Do you think you can?" Minghao asked.

"Yeah, I like that one. I just don't know if I can sing and play at the same time."

"Oh, I can play it for you," Seokmin offered. "Just try not to cry because someone else touched your guitar."

Jun chuckled and nodded as he lifted his thumbs.

"Okay, we need more songs," Minghao cut them after a few seconds. "I vote for something heavier, and that shows our true colors."

"You're the boss," Soonyoung shrugged and stretched his legs. "I vote for _Annihilates me_ and _Relentless."_

Everyone agreed, and Seokmin suggested they also play _Zero gravity_ and _The reckless._ With this, they soon finished the choices and got up to play them once and warm up a little.

Minghao only realized that the recordings had already begun when he sat behind the drums and kept throwing the drumsticks up while he waited for the others to settle down. He also noticed the other competitors scattered on the grass, watching them cautiously and felt compelled to do his best, even if it was only a rehearsal.

Apparently, the others had the same thought, which left him genuinely satisfied. Thick drops of sweat accumulated through his hair and ran down his forehead while he touched it, but he didn't care. Nothing in the world would be able to contain the adrenaline he felt every time he played, and Minghao only realized he was smiling when they finished the stage passage.

"Hey, it seems the adversiments have already been published," Jeonghan said after finishing a bottle of water. "Let's watch."

"Sure, let's look for shade," Minghao answered and already started going towards a big tree not far from where they were.

"Let's watch the videos of the others first," Soonyoung spoke and let himself fall sitting under the shade.

They decided to see the Cataclysm's first, and Minghao chewed the inside of his cheek thoughtfully while trying to record the names of his opponents. Those guys looked as good as Comicz, although they couldn't be more different from each other.

As it turned out, there wasn't a single colorful outfit in the wardrobe of the four, and the heavy New Hampshire accent was getting on Minghao's nerves; the gods knew he hated the east coast for several reasons, and that would be just one more on the list.

On the other hand, the boys from Summer 98' fitted perfectly in the pop-punk stereotype and, for some reason, made Minghao remember All Time Low and Blink-182 without even hearing from them yet.

He was genuinely surprised when it came to their turn to take the stage pass, also, because he would never expect that Boo Seungkwan, with his fluffy cheeks and harmless appearance, would have such a powerful voice like that. As much as Minghao hated to admit it, he knew they had formidable opponents.

It was almost night when all the bands finished the soundcheck, and as that night had no specific concept, they could dress as they wanted. The staff took the competitors to the bus that would become their homes for the next few months to get ready, and Minghao tried not to stick to the details too much, as he could take a better look when they returned.

Minghao honestly didn't know what to wear, so he ended up putting on another pair of beaten jeans and a white sleeveless shirt before making a ponytail with his hair. It wasn't as if they were going to be able to see him behind the drums, anyway, and he doubted that anyone would really care about his clothes when he had something much better to show.

"Hey, aren't those Minghao's idols over there?" Jun nudged them and whispered a little too loud as soon as he noticed Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat passing by them.

"Don't warn him! What if he dies before going on stage, who will play for us?" Soonyoung scolded and patted Minghao's astonished face. "Stop making such a stupid face, you're scaring me."

Minghao ended up laughing and shook his head negatively, still trying to process the whole situation. He obviously knew he would find his favorite bands if Comicz was selected, but he didn't expect it to be so close.

They were lucky enough to get a decent place to watch the shows, and for a brief moment, Minghao even forgot that he was on a reality show, that he was part of it. The aura of that place was incredible and only made him want to stay there forever.

The shows went on like a blur and, when he realized, it was already the ending and also the time for Comicz to enter the scene. Minghao took over his place quickly and tried to disguise the trembling in his hands while Seokmin and Junhui were making fun for the audience before they started, indeed.

He could see the expectation on the audience's faces and felt even more determined to turn all those people into his fans, or else his name wouldn't be Xu Minghao.

The music flowed through his body and hands, and Minghao felt his heart racing considerably when he heard the audience sing the cover along with Junhui.

That was insane.

It was absolutely and totally insane to have a crowd shouting along with them, seems to be loving it all as much as they themselves. It was insane to have so many voices superimposed on theirs, and even if it didn't match the style of the songs so much, the five of them were smiling wide.

The last chord of the last song seemed to arrive too fast, and Minghao let out a lively and animalistic scream before standing up and playing over his friends as they said goodbye to the audience. That was, without a doubt, the best night of his life.

However, Minghao's body stopped working once and for all when he noticed that the members of All Time Low and those of Crown The Empire were watching their show, and he was sure that his lung exploded when some of them approached and praised the energy they had.

Minghao would have liked to react, shouted, asked for an autograph, _anything_ , but only managed to thank them in the most blissful way possible before turning to his friends and facing them statically.

If they had even pleased them, they had a chance to win, right?

"Tell me if I'm dreaming, but did Rian fucking Dawson just praise me?" A silly smile took over Minghao's face and made his bandmates laugh audibly.

"Unbelievable, you can be more pathetic than Soonyoung," Jeonghan laughed and dragged him across the lawn. "Let's take a shower, in an hour we have to be inside that bus, and only God knows when we will see a shower again."

The sentence seemed to cast horrible shivers through Junhui's spine, which ran immediately to be the first to get a bath.

Minghao laughed at his friend, and only at that moment really felt that everything had started. He stopped a few times to thank ecstatic praise or to smile shyly at the cameras that followed them closely and that only stopped following them when they entered the bathrooms.

It was strange to know that thousands of people would possibly be watching each of his steps, but if that was the price of his dream, Minghao was more than willing to pay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe let me know what are your thoughts for this chapter and, once again, if you find something weird please let me know!

**Author's Note:**

> goodbye for now, my [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/haoshoumon/) if someone wants to chat or something and here's the [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3NowhLGCXVPQhdYX3ACxFn?si=ImnPRDn-QhmUaUYtL2d9ww) I always listen while writing.  
> I'm gonna try to update twice a week!


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